Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be aboard the first flight into the new airport at Betong in southern Yala province when it opens on Monday, according to the government spokesman.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Friday that Gen Prayut would preside over the inauguration ceremony in the passenger terminal of the airport, which is in Betong district.
Construction of Betong airport started in 2017 and was completed in 2019. It has a 7,000-square-metre passenger terminal designed to serve about 300 passengers per hour.
The 1.8-kilometre-long runway is for small aircraft such as the turboprop ATR, which has 70-80 seats. The airport is close to the Malaysian border, but aircraft landing and takeoff paths are all in Thai skies.
The new airport would resolve travel obstacles for Betong district, which is surrounded by mountains, stimulate local tourism and improve security in the southern border provinces, Mr Thanakorn said.
